The last couple of decades have witnessed a revolution in electronic connectivity and communication technology, particularly when communication and control devices are associated with wide area networks, such as the Internet. Technology has proceeded from a point where simple, stand-alone computer systems performed the majority of computational and control tasks to the present day, where modern systems and techniques have enabled the establishment of enterprise-wide computation, control and communication network systems.
However, this broad network capability often means that the variety of networking situations and solutions is quite large and compatibility between networks, and even various systems within networks, is problematic to say the least. This is particularly true in areas where modern communication networking must interface with legacy hardware and software that was originally designed, configured and manufactured for stand-alone use.
Specifically, in the area of campus or enterprise-wide facilities management, very large numbers of different types of systems and controls are implemented in various structures comprising the enterprise. The systems range from simple voltage and/or current meters to very complex HVAC control systems. Most are offered by different manufacturers and have different communication protocols, installation requirements, and the like, making interoperability substantially impossible. Indeed, most building automation system customers are quite dissatisfied because their different building automation systems are completely non-interoperable.
Compounding this problem is the realization that retrofitting and upgrading older building automation systems requires the entire communication network to be removed and replaced by a different, proprietary system that only functions with the new or upgraded facility tools. Further, although a great deal has been said about real-time data acquisition and processing, there is very little practical interest in such functionality unless it can be employed in some form of enterprise-wide solution. For example, enterprise-wide could refer to 60 retail outlets coupled together into an enterprise network, which is not conceptually difficult until it is realized that 60 different data streams must be managed concurrently; a very difficult implementation, communication and security management problem.
A system that is capable of obviating these difficulties will be highly desirable, especially in view of the recent trend toward resource management, exemplified by load-profiling and load-curtailment in the facilities management field. As more and more facilities attempt to conserve energy by adaptively adjusting power consumption through use management, the ability to control facilities systems on an enterprise-wide basis, and in real-time, becomes mandatory. This requires that new systems be able to handle large numbers of disjoint data streams and additionally, be able to easily accommodate substantially universal interoperability.
Such a system must be able to function as a primary facility system's “agent,” providing a common presentation in management interface for all of the devices and systems within a facility. Accordingly, it must interface with all of the different communications protocols implemented by those different devices and systems, collecting data from numerous sources that are otherwise unable to intercommunicate, translating such data into a single format and providing the data to an end user in a uniform presentation form. Conversely, it must be able to receive input from a user in a uniform format and translate it into the specific data that conforms to the control protocols of the various devices and systems populating facility.